The "Values & Interests" podcast and event series takes a deep dive into the ethical tensions and tradeoffs at the heart of decision-making across geopolitics, tech, philosophy, and business.
Explore how ethics can serve as a tool for making more reflective and responsible choices. Hear from leaders and experts who have spent their careers reckoning with critical ethical questions across their personal and professional lives. Whether facing daily decisions or tackling global issues, you’ll uncover new approaches for navigating the complex and often fraught relationship between our own values and interests.
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Latest Podcast Episode
Brian Wong, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Hong Kong, joins the podcast to discuss how to challenge our own ethical and political beliefs and practice strategic empathy without succumbing to moral relativism.
He also speaks about the future of global justice and the technological forces disrupting our very conception of what it means to be human.
Professor Wong's latest book is Moral Debt.
Access Recent Events
U.S. Power and Principle
America’s post–World War II calculus guiding the relationship between power and principle has shifted dramatically. James Story, former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, and Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal discuss this new dynamic.
Geopolitics in an Era of AGI
As policymakers and diplomats increasingly leverage AI agents and non-state tech companies grow in power and influence in the push toward AGI, Carnegie Council assembled an expert panel to discuss the geopolitical impact of these technologies.
Post-Liberal American Power
Has Trump 2.0 ushered in an era of post-liberal American power? Access the full discussion on the defunding of U.S. soft power institutions, cuts to foreign aid, and the embrace of an aggressive transactional style of diplomacy in the first months of 2025.
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Full Podcast Episodes
MAY 14, 2026 • Podcast
Practicing Strategic Empathy and Navigating Competing Values
University of Hong Kong's Professor Brian Wong discusses U.S.-China relations and how to practice strategic empathy without succumbing to moral relativism.
MAY 6, 2026 • Podcast
Building Moral and Professional Resilience
Watch/listen to the latest "Values & Interests" podcast featuring Gilles Michaud, UN Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security.
APR 16, 2026 • Podcast
Geopolitics in a Fracturing World, with Aarathi Krishnan
Aarathi Krishnan, CEO of Raksha Intelligence Futures, discusses the political, economic, and technological dynamics shaping this moment of uncertainty and transition in the global system.
APR 2, 2026 • Podcast
The Gaslighting of America, with Professor Mathias Risse
What is fueling the post-truth era? Why is it working? Harvard's Mathias Risse argues that gaslighting has become a dominant rhetorical force in American politics.
MAR 2, 2026 • Podcast
Amoral American Power, with Professor Matias Spektor
From Caracas to Tehran, U.S. power is no longer justified through a narrative of liberal internationalism. Matias Spektor examines the consequences of this shift.
FEB 20, 2026 • Podcast
Keeping it Real(ism), with Assoc. Professor Paul Poast
With realism having a political moment, Paul Poast discusses the intellectual roots of the theory and how it's being applied in U.S. foreign policy.
DEC 18, 2025 • Podcast
Embracing Empathy and Responsible Power, with Dr. Claire Yorke
Dr. Claire Yorke joins "Values & Interests" to discuss how empathy can be used to build inclusive power structures, while avoiding the trap of blind idealism.
NOV 20, 2025 • Podcast
The Principle of Pragmatic Idealism, with Björn Holmberg
Björn Holmberg, executive director of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, joins "Values & Interests" to discuss the power of pragmatic idealism across international relations.
OCT 30, 2025 • Podcast
Misinformation and the Global Manosphere, with Odanga Madung
Kenyan journalist and researcher Odanga Madung discusses the corrosive effects of misinformation, the global rise of the manosphere, and the power of collective narratives.
OCT 1, 2025 • Podcast
The Cost of Military Primacy, with Peter Harris
Colorado State's Peter Harris discusses what a less militarized future might look like for the U.S. and the Trump administration's impact on foreign policy.